Homeschooling a gifted child

Lisa - posted on 01/29/2012
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Hello! I am brand new to this...ALL of it! This website, being a parent of a gifted child, and homeschooling! I have been reading all the conversations on this website for about 2 hours now and have identified with about 99% of everything written on here!! (altho most of the conversations are from about 2 years ago) From the space-cadetism he suffers from, to the most in-depth questions he has that i can't answer, to the perfectionism he must aquire from himself, and the extreme sensitivity he has! I'm not the most patient person in the world, and I'm having an extremely difficult time with his lack of common sense! Saying that tho, I DO love the fact that he is so different and unique than all my other children! :o)

ANYHOW... I have a 7 year old son, almost 8, who was tested into the gifted program at his absolutely WONDERFUL public school; however, he never got a chance to participate in it due to the fact that we were forced to move to a different (microscopic) city where the school systems are absolutely horrible!! The focus in these schools are more about abolishing drugs than curriculum becuase drugs run so rampant here it's astonishing! SO, i've decided to pull him out of school and home school him via public school online! It's amazing and wonderful and I would suggest it to anyone who is available to do so! On the other hand, socialism is pretty much nil here as well as things to do. He is pretty much addicted to TV and the computer and I'm thinking I'm on the verge of destroying his character due to the fact that i'm not finding ways to stimulate him enuff during and after his schoolwork!!

This is all so scary for me, and with so many situations out of my hands, I'm really not sure as to what to do at this point concerning his character, his socialism, his brain stimulation... all of it! I don't want his talents going to waste, but I don't know where to go to encourage them either! He is pretty much an artist and can draw beyond the limits of anything i could ever supply to him!!

Is there anyone out there who can help me with my fears and my parenting skills of having a gifted child? I feel like I am failing him!

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[deleted account]

I am considering homeschooling my twins as well. I know you say you are in a small town, but have you checked if their are any homeschooling groups in your area that you may be able to meet up with? Many areas have groups that provide social outlets for homeschooled kids.

Just because they tested into the Gifted and Talented program at school does not mean they are gifted. Giftedness is based on IQ, GT programs at school are just based on grade and ability to do the work.